Grades 7-8
Learning Activities for Jr High Students
English Language Arts:
Students can access Newsela to continue practicing reading comprehension and writing skills. A code is required to access the materials. The class does not have assignments added, but students can search a wide variety of articles by subject area. The reading level can be adjusted by lexile level at the top right of the screen. Grade equivalents for lexile levels are below. You can choose your child’s level that best suits his/her reading ability. This is a great way to get cross-curricular content!
Click on the following link to join MC’s Newsela JR/SR High Account: https://newsela.com/quickjoin/#/UT2MDK
OR, go to Newsela.com, click join, and use UT2MDK as your code.
Math:
This website is a wonderful resource for practicing skills from this year. It is free for students and you can sign them up for an account when you go to the website. The skills that they will practice cover a variety of topics and the children are engaged with a cartoon video-game type feel as they complete missions to gain rewards. There are some challenges and some easy spots which keeps them playing! I encourage approximately 20 minutes per day of play time on the site.
This website acts as a minds-on tutor for students all the way through high school math concepts should your child struggle with any concept. I encourage you to keep this one handy now and in the future. Teachers explain strategies step by step and in helpful ways to help students understand the concepts they may have misunderstood in class!
Science:
Smithsonian's STCMS for Grades 6–8 - STCMS Research Modules
These research modules are perfect for middle schoolers learning science from home. They align with our Science curriculum in grades 6 - 8. Research projects guide students to think and work like real scientists and engineers to explain real-world phenomena as they learn how to do a research project. These activities also allow students to practice their reading comprehension and writing skills.
Science Units for Grades 6 - 8
Why Are Honey Bees Disappearing?
Unit Driving Question: Why are honey bees important, and what can we do to minimize human impact on these populations?
Using their research of honey bees, students design solutions to lessen human impact on colony collapse disorder (CCD) and develop a communication plan to educate their community about CCD. Access resources.
What Evidence Suggests Similarities Among Organisms?
Unit Driving Question: Where did whales come from?
Using their research about the ancestors of whales and their analysis of the fossil record, students make an evidence-based claim to explain how present-day whales evolved. Access resources.
How Can We Use Technology to Monitor Aquatic Ecosystems?
Unit Driving Question: How do phytoplankton affect aquatic ecosystems, and how can we use technology to monitor them?
Using their research of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in a specific region, students make proposals to minimize human impact or mitigate harmful effects. Students describe the evidence and scientific reasoning that supports the claim that human activity contributes to HABs. Access resources.
Social Studies:
- Take one or two virtual tours each week and write a letter to someone in your family about why they should take it too! Details are very important here. The letter should include some of the things that you saw!
Scholastic Virtual Magazine (grades 6-8)
- This free resource provides your children with 20* days of exciting articles and stories, videos, and fun learning challenges. Children can complete them anytime, in any order. They can work on their own or together with you and your family. They are cross-curricular activies.
Computer Science: (20 minutes)
Typing/keyboarding skills (10-20 minutes)
- ACTIVITY! Grades 7-8, EDU Typing.com
- Practice coding at code.org.